Lopez Island Overnighter

From Anacortes we set out to find a lunch spot. The sea was calmer, but the tides were at maximum flood. Our original plan was to enter Lopez Sound via Lopez Pass, but according to Gunkholing in the San Juan Islands, the current could reach 4 knots and the charts showed shallower depths and more rocks. We opted to follow the Washington State Ferry heading through deeper and wider Thatcher Pass.

Just after the pass we headed for Spencer Spit State Park. It was calm in protected Lopez Sound, but with a slight breeze from the north, we opted for the south side of the spit. This park has both land and marine access. We saw several people strolling the sandy shores on this lovely April day.

According to the diagram in the Dreamspeaker Cruising Guide for The San Juan Islands, there were lots of mooring buoys both north and south of the spit. We only found two left on the south side and picked one for a quick Subway sandwich lunch break.

Our destination for the night was Fisherman's Bay on the west side of Lopez Island. Wayne and I don't cook much while cruising. We prefer easy meals and eating out when possible. So for dinner, we docked at the Lopez Islander Resort and walked up to their Tiki Lounge. What a flash from the past. It's a full service resort with a nice marina with guest moorage available.

We had appies and brews then headed out into the bay to anchor for the night. We found a spot between the private mooring buoys and many crab trap floats to drop our anchor. After a glowing sunset we went inside to play a game of Monopoly on my iPad and then snuggled into our sleeping bag in the v-berth for a quiet night on the water.

Come back tomorrow as we head off for Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. -- Margy